Opportunities on the Out

Opportunities on the Out is StandOut’s job board. It’s where we share opportunities from employers and training providers we know to be reliable, supportive and welcoming of applicants with convictions.

We hope that Opportunities on the Out is a useful resource, however, it is important to remember that it does not replace your own job search.

If you would like support with any aspect of your job search, want to chat through one of the opportunities below - or need support with anything else, please get in touch with one of our coaches.

Want to get in touch?

Employment

Pret a Manger: Hot Food Chef

Hot Chefs keep shelves full of oven-fresh food (including croissants, hot pots, soups, macaroni cheese, toasted tortillas and more). There are opportunities to progress (if you want to) and you’ll be supported by a team of brilliant people.

Pret Perks:
•    Weekly pay
•    Paid breaks
•    Free food when you’re working (and 50% off when you’re not)
•    Support with travel expenses on public transport *

📰 Contract: Full-time

📍 Location: 173 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NA – the nearest tube is Victoria Station.

💰 Pay: £13.21 per hour plus a weekly bonus of £1.25 per hour *

Eligibility: They exclude Sex, terror and arson offences.

Kitchen Porter: Company of Cooks

Company of Cooks, believe brilliant food and drink starts with brilliant people. For over 25 years, they have been part of some of the UK’s most loved cultural destinations, from historic palaces and botanical gardens to buzzing galleries and performance spaces, running the cafés, restaurants, bars and events that bring these incredible places to life. 

Their values - Craft, Creativity and Community - guide everything they do. They shape how they work together, how they support their partners, and how they make each guest feel welcome. If you care about food, people and doing things properly, you’ll feel right at home. 

Wherever we are, we do more than serve. We bring places to life through food, service and creativity and we’re looking for an outstanding Kitchen Porter to join our team in London. Opening Date: 11th December 2025 (pre-opening training begins 10th November 2025)

📰 Contract: Employment Type: Full-time, between 35-45 hours per week 

📍 Location: Covent Garden, London

💰 Pay: Salary: £13.85 per hour, plus tronc

Eligibility: They exclude Sex, terror and arson offences.

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more.

Timpson: Trainee store manager

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include serving customers with key cutting, watch and mobile phone repairs, engravings, shoe repairs, photo processing, dry cleaning and many other services. Lack of experience is not an issue as every single colleague is given in-depth training from their very first day.

The role offers a range of perks, including free holiday homes, uncapped bonuses, extra days off, discounts, salary reviews, social events, promotion opportunities, skills training, and mental health support. Personality is more important to Timpsons than any previous experience.

📰 Contract: Full-time

📍 Location: Green Park (and surrounding area)

💰 Pay: Starting at £28,665 per annum increasing to £28,772 per annum following a successful trial period. 

Eligibility: No qualifications or experience necessary. Terror and sexual offences are excluded.

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more.

Greggs: Shift Manager

As a Team Member, you’ll provide fast and friendly service to customers, make sure the shop is clean and tidy, and prepare the food and drink. Customers are served across a number of different channels; in-shop, delivery, Click + Collect and drive thru. You'll play a key part in making sure customers have a brilliant experience when shopping in any of the above ways.

The role offers competitive weekly pay, colleague discounts (up to 50% for you and a family member), free hot drinks, paid breaks, and a share of 10% of company profits. Additional benefits include a growing holiday entitlement, pension contributions up to 7%, colleague share plans, health and wellbeing support, long service awards, and savings and discounts for everyday shopping and leisure. Apply by 05/12/25

📰 Contract: Shift pattern and availability can be discussed at interview, mainly for evening shift and / or week end. Around 20 contracted hours per week.

📍 Location: Epping

💰 Pay: £13.50 per hour

Eligibility: They exclude Sex, terror and arson offences.

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more.

M&S: Christmas Retail Assistant

As a Customer Assistant in our Foods section, you'll become a champion of our high-quality products, great value offers, and excellent customer service. We're seeking passionate individuals who take pride in their knowledge of M&S Food products and are excited to share it with our customers.

• Serve our customers efficiently, both on the shop floor and at service points 

• Keep the store clean and tidy, ensuring that our shelves are always stocked with product

• Monitor and deliver on the daily sales targets, priorities, promotions and selling opportunities 

• Proactively engage with customers to understand their needs, make recommendations and deliver remarkable service throughout their visit to store.

• Build expert product knowledge to sell and recommend our products and services 

• We’ll give you the training to utilise all digital tools and communication channels to deliver for the customer every time

Key Capabilities 

· Being digitally confident is essential. You'll utilise our digital tools, such as the Sparks App and our in-store devices, to enhance the customer experience and ensure they get the products they want when they need them.

Closing date: 25th November 2025

📰 Contract: Part-time/Permanent
📍 Location: Kings Road

💰 Pay: £12.60 p/h

Eligibility: Disclosure conversation is needed.

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more.

Education and training

KERB: Street food training

Kerb offers an opportunity for anyone who aspires to start their own food business to learn everything about owning a business, planning and executing there idea, through online courses and in person workshops. There is then an opportunity to pitch your completed busy plan to a group of professionals who may then fund your business start up.

Location: London (details provided on sign-up)

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more.

XO BIKES

What is it: A Velotech accredited, industry recognised qualification in bike mechanics. In phase 1 of the course, we work on core course content, transitioning through the Bronze, Silver, Gold Velotech standards, with phase 2 focusing on consolidating, skill building and practicing. XO Bikes Training Programme xobikes.com people@onwardsandupwards.uk Support during the course

Weekly employment masterclasses, including CV building, job applications, interview prep and professional behaviour support.

Weekly 1-to-1 coaching to develop communication, resilience, goal setting and leadership Group mindset sessions focused on confidence, dealing with setbacks, motivation, and peer support.

Travel and lunch fully covered Aspirations focused – we help people gain positive outcomes at the end of the course by helping them transition into training, volunteering or work.

Key Details

• 18+ Individuals, who has either a criminal record or is at risk of offending, whether they’ve been to prison or not.

• Fully funded place on the course Oyster Travel and lunch covered Up to 16 weeks.

📍 Locations: 210 Lewisham High Street SE13 6J
📅 Course Dates: Next Course - 12 January 2025

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more.

Twin group: Training programmes

This programme offers fully funded training courses for individuals aged 19+ who are unemployed, seeking work, or earning under £25,000 annually. The courses are flexible and accessible, catering to people with childcare, part-time jobs, or other commitments, and include self-paced and scheduled options. Available qualifications range from Level 1 to Level 3 in areas such as business, customer service, retail, warehousing, money management and autism awareness. All training is completely free, and in-person visits can be arranged to help explain opportunities to staff or service users.

💸 Cost: Free.

📍 Location: London

📅 Placement Dates: Ongoing

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more

BounceBack: CSCS Training

Bounce Back is a training provider offering a diverse range of programmes focused on construction industry skills, including Painting and Decorating and CSCS training.

The primary aim is to help individuals secure paid employment within the construction sector. As an industry-led organisation, we train people in the skills that are in demand on-site. By directly responding to this demand, and to ensure that participants are well-positioned to seize the best employment opportunities, ultimately helping prison leavers gain the qualifications and skills needed to transition successfully into the workforce.

BounceBack strive to offer a comprehensive solution, guiding learners within the Criminal Justice System into employment within the construction industry. Alongside qualifications, we provide CSCS training in various prisons and community settings. The CSCS card is a crucial “passport” to work, as it is required for site access. By obtaining this card prior to release, candidates can seamlessly transition into work upon leaving prison.

📅 Schedule: Ongoing

💸 Cost: Free.

📍 Location: South London.

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more

Events and Community

Running Club: City Runners

City Runners is a free running club based in central London, we are the only running club based in central London. We cater for people of all abilities and meet once a week to run along the river Thames from near London Bridge. It is a small, relaxed and friendly club. We meet on Tuesdays at 7.00pm (outside Shortwave bar in Bermondsey Square). You can drop off valuables in Shortwave then we leave at 7.15 prompt. We have a set route of around 5k and for those that want to go further we have a 9k route. On weekends our distances vary and it's best to join the facebook group to see what runs we are doing, we normally meet at 11.15am on Sunday and do more like 10k and above for people training for 1/2 marathons and marathons. You need to be over 18 to join the club and there is one rule that you need to abide by to become a member, you need to check the route before coming for your first time. For newcomers that aren't particularly fast we advise you to come with a buddy who is roughly at the same level so you don't get left behind.

For City Runners' members who want to buy new trainers or large size trainers in the UK, we have a 15% discount scheme with London City Runner based in St Pauls, we also have a 10% discount scheme set up with runners need. You can view photographs and see the other members by joining the group on facebook.

If you would like to be a member of City Runners then it is free to join. Simply email timnavinjones@hotmail.com for more details.

St Margaret’s House: Social Gardening Club Volunteer

Love the outdoors or looking for a therapeutic way to give back to your community? Join our Social Gardening Club at St Margaret’s House! Following the transformation of our garden—including the award-winning Talitha Arts Garden—we’re inviting local volunteers to help us keep the space thriving through simple but vital tasks like weeding and watering.

No experience needed—just a willingness to get stuck in, even for 5 minutes! Gardening meetups are held monthly, and all are welcome to drop in.

🌿 Upcoming sessions (4–7pm):

• Thursday 18th September

• Friday 17th October

• Wednesday 19th November

• Tuesday 16th December

📍 Location: St Margaret’s House, Bethnal Green
📰 Volunteer Role: Community Gardening

Get in touch with StandOut coaches to find out more

StandOut Support

• We have grants and financial support available; covering household items, emergency accommodation, travel, ID, food and more. We also have progression grants to support you with starting a course or purchasing equipment such as PPE to start work.

• Clothing (including coats) and toiletries are also available to collect from our offices in Vauxhall.

  Please get in touch with any StandOut coach if you are interested!

Other Support

Disclosure advice

• Unlock Free advice about criminal convictions and when you have to disclose to employers. They also advise on getting insurance, travelling abroad, self-employment and more. Call 01634247350 or WhatsApp 07824 113848. Many helpful resources online too https://hub.unlock.org.uk/
  

• Nacro Another helpline supporting people with convictions with disclosure, your employee rights, money management and more. Call 03001231999 or visit https://www.nacro.org.uk/criminal-record-support-service/